Foreign broadcasters shut down for Cambodian elections

Activists
from three different political parties died during the 15-day campaign period
leading up to the elections, in which the ruling Cambodian People's Party won a
large majority of seats, according to a report issued by the Committee for Free
and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel).
The Phnom Penh Postran articles on "allegations
of intimidation, ghost voting, and electoral-roll sabotage" in the election,
and the U.S. government-funded Voice of America (VOA) published a story
headlined "Observers: Cambodian Vote
Improved but Problems Remain."

Comprel
documented the various irregularities in the election--listing at least 100--but
the U.S.-owned Radio Free Asia (RFA) and VOA brought to our
attention one specific one: the silencing of the transmission of their
broadcasts on five local FM stations on Sunday. The one-day ban also seemed to
extend to Radio Australia and Radio France Internationale.

The
decision to silence the overseas broadcasters was apparently made by the
Ministry of Information and came with no advance warning. The government
couldn't silence shortwave signals coming into the country, but the shutdown of
the FM signals was the most effective in urban areas, where the FM signals are
strongest.

In
an email message, RFA told us they were taken by surprise by the shutdown and
that they had received no complaints from the government in the run-up to the
voting. Authorities did not release a
statement about the shutdown of the broadcasters.

RFA
called it a giant step backward for the country. That seems about right.

Bob Dietz, coordinator of CPJ’s Asia Program, has reported across the continent for news outlets such as CNN and Asiaweek. He has led numerous CPJ missions, including ones to Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. Follow him on Twitter @cpjasia and Facebook @ CPJ Asia Desk.